I am working on getting a workshop setup up near Seattle for May timeframe. It will be a two day workshop with noted English potter Simon Leach. It will be a hands on workshop with each student being involved in an immersive two full days workshops. I do not have the specifics, but at this point this is what we are working on.

Logistics

- it will be a two day class covering 6-8 hours each day.

- Instruction will be directed by Simon Leach and will consist of demonstration, and application on your provided wheel.

- Each student will be given exclusive access to a space and a wheel (no sharing so more practice)

- After demonstration and during your practical application time Simon Leach will be walking and assisting all members.

- We hope everyone leaves with more techniques and learning from someone who has been a potter for his whole life.

Right now the cost is being targeting at $350 a person and includes 25 lbs of clay (your choice, but Simon seems to use stoneware)

Additional clay will be available for purchase at $10-$12 for 25 lb bag.

I am trying to gauge interest to ensure we have enough people that would be willing to participate in order to make this happen. Please let me know if you would be interested in attending and are willing and able to both pay this price and come to the class in May. Again I am just trying to gauge interest to ensure we can support the workshop.

Leach? Hmmm... potentially interested... although it's a five hour drive. So- a few questions...

Do you know approximately when in May (I'm in Ecuador after the 15th)
Is there going to be a participant cap?
Any idea as to specific demonstration objectives... and the experience level targeted?
Would I be able to walk away speaking Japanese and wearing a white shirt and tie while doing my wet work?

I have not nailed down the date, I am working with the classroom on the date now. We are capping each session at 12 people. If you want to see the specific class objectives you can see Simon on Youtube and he has some video introductions to some of his workshops. I do not know what you mean about speaking Japanese and the white shirt comment.

I am glad you guys are interested, do you think you know of any other people that would be interested. I am trying to gauge interest to even see if we could pull it off. Let me know of any others.

Brian, I am very interested, even if the workshop is during the week, I will take time off.......about a 8/10 hr drive (time change) from Helena Montana to Seattle, but well worth having the experience with hands on very important.....where do I sign up....I know jumping the gun, cart before the horse, etc.....pencil me in for sure.

I am also going to try and get together a "host" family situation is those travelling would rather stay with a fellow artist instead of a hotel. Hot sure how many host families that I can get, but I will try.

Thank you everybody for the response and with you all, and others that I have talked to I am confident that we can make this happen.

I have identified two people in my area that I am going to work with on the organizing committee and we are going to be meeting this week. After we nail down those details we have to confirm with Simon in the next two weeks as well as the classroom. After that it is a matter of getting the details pulled together, advertise, get deposits and then we will be off and running.

You can image that getting workshops like this is challenging, but my team is up for the challenge and am confident that we will have an educational and fun event.

Once I get signups I will get post for everyone to get going. Right now I hope to get two classes, May 6-7th and May 8-9th, but we will let you all know as this needsto be confirmed. I am confident that it will be a Mon-Thursday as this time works best for the venue. BTW the classroom is a large mixed use facility that houses both production potters as well as a large classroom, so in between class time I hope to get some Q&A session with the production potters for all to gain more experience in that way. Man this is exciting!

We have the sign up site for the Simon Leach workshop in Washington May 6-9th, 2013. There are two session as indicated above. The cost will be $335 and the spots will fill up fast. If everyone signs up that has said they are interested we will have a waiting list of 16. So my suggestion is that you sign up soon.